Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1887-11-04
The Merchant MilliOnaire's Ashes
Quietly Resting in an Ingenious
ly Constructed Vault.
Particulars of the Recovery of the
Body From the Thieves and the
Final Interment.
Resting in Secreted Tomb With an
Alarm Lock Attached to
Church Chimes,
A Deed of Darkness.

NEW YORK, Oct. 29.-The mystery which
has so long enveloped the fate of the body
OF the millionaire dry goods dealer, Alex
ander T. Stewart, forms a subject of
chapter in Superintendent Geo. w. Wallins'
book, "The Recollections of New York
Chief of Police" which is soon to be pub
lished. The eX-superintendent processes
to give the only true story of the stealing
of the body and also alleges that the body
was subsequently returned to Judge Hilton
and was buried in st. Marks church yard,
corner of Second avenue and Tenth street,
in an underground vault, the entrance to
which is covered by flagstone, which in
turn is sodded over level with the sur
rounding surface, so that there was no out
ward evidence of its location.
The robbers opened negotiations from
Canada through personals in the New
York Herald, at first demanding S25O,OOO
for the return of the body, but finally re-
ducing the price to $4,000, which was &C.
cepted.
THE CONDITIONS OF THE DELIVERY
were severe. A messenger with the money
was to leave New York city at 10 p. m.
alone in one-horse wagon and drive into
Westchester county along lonely road
which was indicated on a map sent by the
thieves. Some time before morning il the
man was acting in good faith and was not
accompanied or followed by detectives
he would be met and given further
directions. A young relative of Mrs.
Two or three times during the night he was
certain that he was closely watched, but it
was 3 o'clock when masked hOrseman
rode up and gave the signal agreed on and
turned the buggy up lonely lane. The
strange visitor here left him, directing
him to drive on. At the end Of another
mile he became aware that another wagon
was blocking the way. AS he paused a
masked man promptly appeared and
brought forward bag to his buggy, say ing:
Here it is, where's the money!" "Where
is the proof of identity?" asked the mes
senger as the bag containing
THE MORTAL REMAINS OF A. r. STEWART
was lifted into the buggy. "IIere," said
the other, holding up an irregular bit of
velvet, and opening BULBS eye lantern,
the piece was composed with bit OF paper
of the same shape which the New Yorker
had brought with him. "Come, hurry up,"
was the command. The messenger Obeyed
by producing the money and the robbers
retired few feet and counted it
BY THE LIGHT OF A LANTERN.
Then they moved off to the vehicle and
the messenger drove back the way he
came. The next night freight car went
out to Garden City containing nothing ex-
cept trunk and on it sat a man who had
spent the previous night in the loneiest
part of Westchester county. An empty
coffin had been already deposited in the
cathedral and at dead Of night two men
transferred the bones to 1t from the trunk
They then placed the coffin in an mac
cessible vault beneath the dome. If any
one should ever again tonch the unhidden
vault which holds the bones of the merch.
antmilliOnaire the touch would release a
hidden spring which would shake the
chimes in the tower and send instant
alarm throughout the town.